Category: Fashion

The tree is up, the hot cocoa is flowin’ and Elf is on repeat. How about y’all?

I am so excited for Christmas and can’t wait to be home in sunny Florida celebrating it with my family. As I pack for my long weekend ahead, I put together a few tried and true tips that I use whenever I’m packing for a trip that I thought would be helpful for you all as you pack your suitcases for the holidays.

Make a list.

You guys probably know by now how Type A I am, but having a list can seriously help eliminate some of the stress of packing. When you’re packing for a trip, make a list of what you’ll be doing and what exactly you’ll need. Here’s an example:

Saturday

AM: workout outfit

Lunch: cute shorts/top OR maxi dress

Dinner on the beach: flowy skirt + top

Sunday

AM: bathing suit + cover-up

PM: comfy, cute outfit for bon fire

+ contact lenses

+ books

+ iPad

+ steamer

As you pull things out and put them in your ‘pack this’ pile, cross off your list. I also always pull out everything I’m going to pack before it starts going in the suitcase, that way it’s easier to tell if I’m forgetting something.

Choose your shoes.

Pick two or three (or four) pairs of shoes, tops. You just simply do not need to bring all ten pairs of your booties on your trip. Select a few versatile pairs of shoes and build your outfits based on what will look cute with them. Whenever I travel home, I typically pack my sneakers, a pair of heels or wedges (maybe booties or OTK boots if you’re traveling somewhere cold) that I can wear with multiple outfits and a pair of casual sandals for daytime.

Plan your outfits.

Put together at least a few key outfits you plan to wear before they go into your bag. Rather than just throwing all of your cute tops and fave pairs of jeans in your bag, build out your outfits before they make it into your suitcase. This should really help with that chronic overpacking thing we all do…

Downsize your makeup bag.

I have a lot of makeup, but only a handful of products I use on an everyday basis. Think about what you’re going to be doing wherever you’re going and build your makeup bag around the occasion. For example, I highly doubt I’ll be going out while I’m at home for Christmas, so I’ll probably stick to the basics and leave the dark lipstick and grey eyeshadows at home. It’s just not necessary to bring the full gang with you most of the time.

I’d love to hear from you – where are you heading for the holidays? Which of these tips was the most helpful to you?

I have a minor confession: I have a ‘When I’m Not Broke’ list in my phone. It’s categorized by emoji (think dress = clothes, swirly thing = random stuff I want, lipstick = beauty products, home = home decor…) yeah, told ya I’m Type A. SO I figured, since my birthday is in a little over two months (I’m reaaaaalll big on birthdays), this list is also doubling as my Wish List (I’m 23 and my mom still makes me send her one each year. Ugh, such a rough life.)

One may think it is entirely too early to begin thinking about all the things I want for my birthday and/or Christmas, but ladies, this is how we avoid getting gifts that we have to pretend to like. I’m also sure your mom/dad/significant other will really appreciate you spelling out what you want, what color, what size, etc.

+Literally obsessed with these. Wasn’t sure how I felt about sneaker wedges but now I am definitely sure I need these for Fall. *Note: I will never, ever get this particular pair as I just can’t deem it reasonable to spend more than like $50 on shoes, but I’m on the hunt for a similar pair.